Jonathan Tah's last-minute goal lifted Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 over Stuttgart to play against second division side Dusseldorf in the German Cup semifinal.
BERLIN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bayer Leverkusen rallied from behind twice to secure a 3-2 victory over a determined Stuttgart team, thanks to a last-minute goal from Jonathan Tah in the German Cup quarterfinal match on Tuesday.
Stuttgart got off to an excellent start away from home, opening the scoring just eleven minutes into the game when Waldemar Anton headed in Angelo Stiller's pass at the far post, surprising Leverkusen.
It took some time for Leverkusen to find its rhythm in the match as Stuttgart managed to keep the hosts at a distance for the first 30 minutes. Leverkusen thought it had equalized in the 40th minute, but Patrik Schick's goal was disallowed for offside.
Leverkusen intensified the pressure towards the end of the first half. Alejandro Grimaldo's powerful free kick forced Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nubel into action. Nubel made another remarkable save shortly afterward, blocking Schick's back-heel attempt from close range with a foot save.
After halftime, Nubel continued to face challenges as Leverkusen maintained its aggressive approach, although Schick was unable to get past Stuttgart's goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
However, five minutes into the second half, Nubel could not stop Robert Andrich, who collected a loose ball at the edge of the box and curled it into the top right corner to equalize at 1-1.
Stuttgart quickly regained the lead, exploiting a counterattack to make it 2-1 after Chris Fuhrich finished into the top left corner from inside the box.
Leverkusen equalized once again in the 66th minute when Florian Wirtz set up substitute Amine Adli, who beat Nubel with a precise low shot into the far post corner.
As both teams pressed for a win, it was Xabi Alonso's squad that completed a comeback in the 90th minute. Tah headed in Wirtz's cross into the area, stunning Stuttgart. ■
